Allowing just 2.36 goals per game entering the night, the Roadrunners' defense was ranked second in the American Hockey League. That didn't translate into Friday's contest.

San Diego struck quickly, and they struck often. The Gulls posted two goals in the opening 10 minutes of play before Lane Pederson’s fourth goal of the season got the Roadrunners on the board late in the opening frame.

Pederson, trailing a Michael Latta zone entry, one-timed a cross-ice feed past San Diego’s Kevin Boyle to score his fourth of the campaign and to extend his personal point streak to four games (2G, 2A).

The Gulls would tack on two more in the early stages of the second to take a 4-1 lead. Adin Hill was pulled following San Diego’s fourth goal in favor of Hunter Miska. Hill stopped 11 of 15 shots faced in 23:36 minutes of action.

Shortly after Miska entered the game, and upon winning an offensive zone faceoff on a power play, Dylan Strome fed Conor Garland with a pass in the slot to set up Garland’s second goal of the season.

San Diego responded with another pair of goals to take a 6-2 lead.

With just over eight minutes left in regulation, Dylan Strome was the benefactor of a gorgeous behind-the-back pass from Lawson Crouse, beating a vulnerable Boyle to bury the Roadrunners’ third goal of the night.

The Gulls would score two more times to take an 8-3 lead, the night’s eventual final score.

Miska turned away 17 of 21 shots faced in 36:24 minutes of action.

The Roadrunners have allowed a combined 34 goals through 12 games played this season; 15 of those have been surrendered to San Diego in a two-game span.

With two more points (2G, 2A) Friday night, Dylan Strome now has seven (3G, 4A) in the past three games.

Kyle Capobianco, with his assist on Strome’s goal, now has three points (3A) in the last two games and eight (1G, 7A) on the season. Capobianco leads all Roadrunners defensemen in scoring.

The Roadrunners are now 2-12-0-0 all-time against the Gulls.

The teams will reconvene on Saturday night to complete the two-game weekend set at the Valley View Casino Center, where the puck is scheduled to drop just after 8:00 PM MST.